Twitter
Advertisement

Speak up Mumbai: Civic budget is all talk, no action, say experts

While allocation to infrastructure projects and focus on health in the budget have been welcomed, experts say these need to manifest on ground

Latest News
article-main
Civic chief Ajoy Mehta unveils the Budget 2018-19 at the BMC headquarters
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday announced its budget for the year 2018-19 of Rs 27,258 crore which is an increase of 8.4 per cent from last year's figure of Rs 25,151 crore. There are no new taxes in the budget which means there will be no rise in your water bill or property tax this year.

Focussing on fire-safety after a spate of incidents across the city, the BMC has allocated Rs 151 crore to the fire brigade and Rs 28 crore for machinery, a total nearing Rs 180 crore. The civic body has given a push to big-ticket projects like the Mumbai Coastal Road, allocating Rs 100 crore to it, and the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, allocating Rs 1,500 to it. The budget also includes massive financial support to major civic hospitals like Sion and Nair Hospital and announces the privatisation of 35 municipal schools that will pave the way for a new policy of public-private partnership.

Revenue dipped due to a slow down in the real estate sector. However, the BMC will receive aid to the tune of Rs 8,401 crore in the form of GST reimbursement from the Centre and state.

EXPERT SPEAK

It is good move that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) did not impose any new tax and also proposed for night shelter. However, there are only three night shelters while there is need of much more. The civic body should have allocated more fund for it. In addition, the civic body also needs to focus on implementation of projects that have been promised.
Anil Galgali, civic activist

The budget falls short on how much they have allocated to transparency. They are not giving enough information on their website. The public works department gives real-time information. Similar thing is expected of BMC. The budget also makes no mention of doing away with property tax for flats below 500 sq ft which they had mentioned earlier.
Bhaskar Prabhu, former technical advisory committee member, BMC

The biggest problem with the budget is that there is no credibility. The numbers are meaningless. We do not know what exactly is the performance. There is no sense of failure or achievement, no quantitative or qualitative analysis. I have been following up on parking and traffic issues but there is zero policy or philosophy for parking issues reflecting in the BMC budget. There is no survey to ease issues of traffic and parking. What is the achievement of Brimstowad on which they spent so much money? What about the grading of roads, their length and pipes added? The budget also needs to reflect the quantitative and qualitative work of money spent.
Ashok Datar, activist for traffic-related issues

The BMC makes big plans but often fails to achieve them. Funds allocated for works are unutilised. There is no plan to improve the existing complaint system in the budget. Residents complaints are not given importance and there is no plan to make the system more transparent to make sure residents' complaints are addressed. There is a need to set up a 24x7 WhatsApp number or twitter account like the Mumbai police for speedy redressal of complaints. Even the disaster cell does not have a WhatsApp number or twitter account.
Jitendra Gupta, works on civic issues

It is encouraging to observe that the budget has emphatically focused on education, health, and fire services. With appropriate fund allocation, the public education system will greatly improve which is the need of the hour. Similarly, fund consideration towards health was long overdue. Upgrading dispensaries is the first step towards affordable and accessible public healthcare. Every citizen, irrespective of their socio-economic background, has the right to quality education and affordable healthcare. Another crucial sector where the fund assignment is most noteworthy is towards improving and equipping the fire brigade.
Indrani Malkani, managing trustee, V Citizens Action Network

The budget has nothing new. It seems that the BMC believes in just allocating funds. It lacks a road map on how these funds will be utilised and how the project will benefit common people. The civic body is required to provide basic services and its budget must focus on these things. There is fund allocation for health but it lacks how this will be implemented. There is a lack of commitment in the budget. No where is it mentioned that any issue or problem will be sorted out completely. We had raised the issue of malnutrition among school children. They did not accept but they made provision for nutritive meals. This is a good move even if they do not accept our report.
Nitai Mehta, managing trustee, Praja Foundation

The overall budget is good and will benefit Mumbaikars in the long run. The BMC has focused on infrastructure projects like the Coastal Road which is good. The civic body is taking a number of measures towards waste management instead of putting extra pressure on citizens to segregate waste and process at source. There is a proposal to rise health service. Residents too must contribute to the system to ensure it runs smoothly. If someone needs good medical services, contribution is not bad. But the implementation of all these projects in time is also important.
Vinod Sampat, President, Cooperative Housing Societies Residents Association

The BMC has made enough provisions for citizens in the budget. They have made pay-and-use toilets free but there is a need to focus on their maintenance and sustainable implementation. It is good that the BMC has made provisions for the implementation of development plan 2034. An official email facility for administration is a good move to align with digital India. But we all know how much BMC officials respond to an email. There is a provision for night shelters but a detailed plan must be presented on how this will be implemented. Even sanitary pad vending machines in schools is a great move. However, it seems that there is a gap between the civic body and common citizens, and a gap between the allocation of funds and implementation of projects.
Supriya Sonar, convenor, Right to Pee

There is nothing significant in the budget. However no hike in taxes and the fund allocation to Coastal Road are welcome. But just setting aside funds for a project is not enough. Whatever the BMC proposes, it must be implemented in a timely and proper manner. The civic body has stressed on health services but this should manifest on ground. It is also good that they are withdrawing funds from fixed deposits and not putting extra burden on citizens.
Chandrasekhar Prabhu, former MHADA chief

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement